San Diego 200km Brevet

Posted on January 6, 2009 by REV Cycling Directeur Sportif

MOST OF THEY DAY LOOKED LIKE THIS— DARK CLOUDS AND RAIN

PICTURE AT THE FINISH

A huge thanks to my sponsors.

Sportquest for their Carbo1200 and CarboPro, Motor Tabs for their electrolyte tablets, Woolistic for their high quality Merino wool and Niterider for their lighting.

Well the 200km is in the bag. Brandy and I rode the tandem on a rainy and chilly 122 miles with about 7,000 feet of climbing. Only one flat and no major issues. I did notice I took in more calories than I ever have doing a 200km. I believe that is attributed to the cold weather and the extra calories the body needs to maintain the body core temperature.

I couldn’t wait to get a nice hot meal and change into my Skins recovery tights.

The 200km marked the 6th ride on the tandem and our longest. We are considering doing the 300km on the tandem.

Huge thanks to Mike Berry the RBA and the rest of the volunteers that made this a great Brevet!

San Diego 200km Brevet tomorrow

Posted on January 2, 2009 by REV Cycling Directeur Sportif

Tomorrow, Saturday January 3, will be my first event of the year. Brandy and I will be doing the 200km on our tandem. Neither one of us put in the winter miles of base training this year. I had a fractured thumb and Brandy’s work schedule changed. We are going into the event just looking to enjoy the precious time we have to ride together without any expectations on time.

Butterfield Double Century Ride Report

Posted on February 18, 2008 by REV Cycling Directeur Sportif

ELEVATION PROFILE NOTICE THE GOOD PORTION OF CLIMBING AFTER MILE 150

BRANDY MY GIRLFRIEND WHO FINISHED 8TH OVERALL, SECOND FASTEST WOMAN

CERVELO SOLOIST SL LIGHT, STIFF AND AERO

NITERIDER MINEWT DUAL.X2 LIGHTING SYSTEM, PROFILE DESIGN SONIC CSX AEROBARS (NOTICE HOW LOW THEY SIT ON THE HANDLEBARS)

Thank you to all my sponsors, Cervelo and their fantastic Soloist Carbon SLC-SL, very aero very comfortable and very stiff in a sprint, Niterider lighting systems,Kenda Tires for the C2C’s, Showers Pass for their Protech Jacket that I wore in the morning and again in the afternoon as the temperatures dropped, Nathan Sports for the reflective gear. Sportquest for their amazing CarboPro 1200 nutrition product, Red Star Energy for their quick pick me up energy tablets, and as always my club Team Velosport Team Sho-Air Sonace.

RESULTS FOR BUTTERFIELD DOUBLE CENTURY

Saturday was the first double century of the California Triple Crown Series. I have done the right preparation for the limited time that I have to train. I felt good during the event. I came in with the third fastest time 10:46. I had good energy but lost the power in my legs around Mile 155. I had worked hard all day off the front with one or two other riders and paid I for it. Additionally, I had done 260 miles of commuting during the week before the double century and that was also something I would pay for on the course. However, in the annual plan, this was just a training event with Everest Challenge and Furnace Creek 508 being goal events.

BIKE SETUP

I rode the Cervelo Soloist SL–Sasha. I wanted to ride the SLC-SL because of the long miles that I would ride solo. I expected to be dropped by the lead pack so I also put clip-on aero bars. I used the Profile Design Sonic CSX because they are very low profile. They rest right on top of the handlebars, they are light at 280 grams because of their full carbon construction. I ended up being the lead pack all day and used the aerobars when it was my turn to pull in the paceline and when I got dropped a couple of times and maintained my third place position during the last 50 miles.

LIGHTING SYSTEM

The NITERIDER MINEWT.X2 DUAL LIGHTING SYSTEM is a very lightweight system with a small battery pack and two very bright headlights. The benefit of the dual headlights is you can point them in different directions to make a broader beam pattern, or “stack” them to create a longer beam pattern i.e. one shining close to your front wheel and one overlapping but shining further ahead to allow more time to react to debris on the road. My only gripe with this light is that it appears to use the same battery pack as the MiNewt which is only one headlight hence the burn time is cut in half to 1:45 hours on High and 3:30 hours on low since you have to the draw of two headlights on the MiNewt.X2. ON THE OTHER HAND, you are getting twice the light as the MiNewt which is really nice when you are in rural sections of your double century. I would accept the weight penalty for longer burn times on the MiNewt.X2 Dual if the battery pack was bigger. Currently, the battery pack fits underneath a stem length of 90mm or longer. Very neat and clean installation!!! I strongly recommend the Niterider MiNewt.X2 Dual if you expect to finish within three hours of sunset in your double century efforts. If you need more burn time GET THE MINEWT IT IS LIGHTER, AND THE BURN TIME IS LONGER. The MiNewt is a fantastic light choice for commuting!

The route was very urban, subsequently there were way too many traffic signals and stop signs as we meandered from Irvine (start) to the coast, “inland” and then back to the coast again. We started as a HUGE group and during the first stretch I took the time to coach Brandy on her pack riding skills. The traffic signals kept the pack together as we did the rollers. The ride finally started to move and pick up the pace as we got back on the coast at Crown Valley Pkwy and headed South through Dana Point and San Clemente. By the time we reached the San Onofre Campground we were down to seven riders in the lead pack.

MILE 54.7 I was in and out of the first rest stop in two minutes or less. I went out on my own and got caught by David “Mudcat” Holt about 1.5 miles before getting off the I5 southbound freeway. About 1 mile from the off ramp a paceline of six riders caught me.

MILE 66.2 We took the exit off the I5 freeway and Max tells me someone flatted behind us. I knew there were eight of us in the paceline and now it’s just the two of us, so I figured a few riders had stopped so Max and I rolled on. When I pulled into the lunch stop I find out that Keith Brodsky had crashed. After the event I found out he fractured his clavicle. I wish him a speedy recovery he is nice guy and fierce competitor. I’ll miss chasing him for the next 6 weeks. From the 5 Freeway to lunch it was just Max, another rider and I off the front.

MILE 84.7 Max, another rider and I pulled into the lunch stop together but I didn’t stay long. I checked in, said thank you to Phil Thomas for volunteering, said hello to Jon S. and I was off in two minutes again. I knew Max was stronger than me. I thought if I took-off ahead of him he would chase me and hopefully each time he had to chase me it would wear him down. Remember, I left out of the first CP first and they had to chase and catch me for 12 miles. But Max didn’t stay too long and he was on my wheel half-way up the Circle R Rd. climb. We chatted for a little bit and then he said we needed to keep the tempo up otherwise the tandem would catch us on the second half of the course. And with that, Max accelerated his pace and I couldn’t keep up. I was dropped and he was gone. I WAS NOW RUNNING IN SECOND PLACE.

MILE 100.4 I was alone for the next 15 miles and just as I was about to make the left turn on to Reche Rd off of the 395, I was caught by Dan and Phil. That is where I had my “defining moment”. Their pace was faster than mine and they were working together climbing a roller. I got dropped. I knew that the roller came down to the entrance of Live Oak Park (Fallbrook). If I didn’t get on their wheel now I could possibly lose them and going West on the Oceanside bike path would slow me down even more. I made a huge effort to catch them. They were about 100 meters away. I dug deep and was able to make contact just as I blew up. I recovered on the downhill and since they were larger riders I was able to recover and draft off of them until my turn came to pull. It was a gamble and it paid off because I was able to ride with them until mile 155.5.

MILE 155.5 The left turn onto Antonio Pkwy was where I started falling apart. Dan and Phil dropped me on the “endless climb up Antonio Pkwy.” I was fine as far as nutrition but I had no legs left. I was slowing and slowing and kept looking back but no one was coming. I WAS NOW RUNNING THIRD

MILE 167.5 CP#4 Trabuco Oaks General Store I was caught by a pack of 7-10 riders. I was in and out in about 2 minutes again. Lee was there volunteering and I told him that I was hurting. It was 3:30pm.

I left the rest stop as quickly as possible and didn’t see anyone chasing me except David “Mudcat” Holt. He caught me on one of the rollers exiting Live Oak. My feet were really starting to hurt. I WAS NOW RUNNING FOURTH

MILE 171.7 Right turn Santiago Canyon Rd. My right foot hurt so bad I had to take my shoe off and pedal with my foot on top of the pedal. I hadn’t had “hot foot” this bad since I was training for the 508 back in 2006 and I would go out on 150 training rides. I mean I was so close to pulling over but I didn’t want to get caught and so slow and steady I moved through Santiago Canyon. I pedalled like that for a good 5 miles and finally my foot felt better and I put my shoe back on. When I finished putting my shoe on I looked behind me and saw the tandem of Craig Robertson and Graham Pollack. I knew this was going to be a fast chase because we were on a slight downhill. I timed my acceleration just right and jumped on the tandem’s wheel. I stayed on the tandem for the last 10 miles in to the finish. On the way we picked up David “Mudcat” Holt. I WAS NOW RUNNING THIRD AGAIN. The positioned remained unchanged until the finish.

I finished at 5:01pm

RECOVERY

This was very important because the very next day at 7:00 a.m. I was doing the CBR Anger Management Criterium in Long Beach. I immediately took my Recover Amino capsules from Sportquest and downed a bottle of Endurox. I needed to wait for Brandy to finish before I could go home and get some sleep. As part of my recovery I immediately put on my Skins Travel and Recovery Compression tights which I would later wear to bed. My legs were sore the next morning but I know they felt better than if I didn’t wear the Skins. The Skins truly helped my recovery since I only had 5.5 hours of sleep. After eating a recovery burger at the restaurant next to the hotel, I went to get the truck to double back on the course and see where Brandy was. As I pulled up to the front of the hotel I recognized her bike outside! Well, she really surprised me being there that soon…she finished 8th overall, second fastest women’s time with a 12:18!! I wonder if it was her dedication to training or my superb coaching?!?!?! 😉

Roger Millikan St. Valentine Crit Race Report and Pictures

Posted on February 11, 2008 by REV Cycling Directeur Sportif

That’s me in the front on the right leading the pack for half a lap.

Jesse and Keith from Team Bear Claw (in the black kits) sprinting for the line. Jesse got 2nd and Keith got 3rd.

Jesse, Keith and I relaxin’ after the race

Jesse, Brandy and I after the race.

Thank you to all my sponsors, Cervelo and their fantastic Soloist Carbon very aero very comfortable and very stiff in a sprint, Kenda Tires for the C2C’s, Sportquest for their amazing CarboPro 1200 nutrition product, Red Star Energy for their quick pick me up energy tablets, and as always my club Team Velosport Team Sho-Air Sonace.

OFFICIAL RESULTS CAN BE FOUND ON THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEVADA CYCLING ASSOCIATION (SCNCA) WEBSITE.

Sunday was my first ever Criterium. I am venturing into other types of racing this year to answer one main question…..”Am I good enough?” I know I am a decent Ultra Cyclist. But how will I do at short intense effort races? So this year I will be doing some Road/Crit/TT races to round out my experiences as a cyclist. I also think that it will help in my Ultras because I will pick up some intensity that I just can’t get in training.

I had a few questions going into the race:

1. As stated before am I good enough?

2. How bad will I get dropped?

3. Will there be a crash and will I be involved in it?

4. Will I posses the bike handling skills required?

5. Can I finish in the pack?

Answers

1. I think I am good enough to hang but winning a race is not in my genes!

2. I didn’t get dropped…this time. I stayed in the top 10-20 wheels the whole race.

3. There was a crash with 4 laps to go right in front of me. “Luckily”, for me I was losing contact with the rider in front of me on the slight uphill. By time he went down there was about 20 feet gap between us. As he tumbled his bike slid into my left chainstay and knocked my rear wheel off it’s line. But I regained control of the bike and continued to hammer up the slight up hill towards Turn 4.

4. I was timid in the first few laps but as the speed increased and the necessity of covering the wheel in front of me meant sitting in or getting dropped I felt more comfortable with cornering at 30 mph. BUT I know it will take many more races even years to really feel like I am good at pack riding at such high speeds.

5. I finished 11th on my first ever Crit. A lot was just luck. Avoiding the crash was huge in finishing the race. I lost about 3 places in the last 50 meters. I was out of gas. The course has a slight uphill from Turn 3 up and around Turn 4 and flattens out about 250 meters from the finish line. My legs were done — “on both sides”. My sprint was a paltry 863 Watts. I remember on the Mullholland Double Century 200 miles and 17,000 feet of climbing (most very steep over 10% grades) and 13 hours into the event I could still hit over 1100 Watts. I paused for a second and then sprinted again and threw my bike across the line. I know you are not supposed to pause on a sprint but I was done. I missed top 10 by a wheel but hey that’s bike racing!!!

Brandy had the unenviable task of watching three out of our four children, taking pictures and trying to get me ready. A huge thank you to her for supporting me in my latest adventure!!

San Diego Brevet Series 300km

Posted on January 22, 2008 by REV Cycling Directeur Sportif

Results

Pictures sign in as a guest.

Finish Line photos with Kevin McNulty

POWER NUMBERS

Total kjs= 6454
Best 30 min— 220watts— 3.24 Watts/kg
Best 60 min— 213watts— 3.13 Watts/kg
Best 120 min— 189watts— 2.78 Watts/kg
Max Power 704— Avg Power 152— 2.24 Watts/kg

On Ultras it’s all about pacing so power numbers aren’t all that high. In additon, long descents bring the average wattage down significantly.

First of all I would like to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors who are supporting me for the 2008 season. Kenda C2C Tires Sportquest makers of CarboPro, CarboPro 1200 and Interphase, Woolistic makers of the best cycling specific wool clothing, Skins compression garments and as always my club Team Velosport/ TEAM SHO-AIR/SONANCE.

Jan 19, 2008

The route covers some of East San Diego’s more rural roads. The stats are

Distance: 177 miles
Elevation gain: approx 13,000 feet of gain (Polar 720i 12,700)
Highest elevation point: Santa Ysabel 2936 feet
Climbs along the way: Honey Springs Rd, Harbinson Canyon, Hwy 67, Old Julian Hwy, Old Hwy 80, Japatul Valley Rd.

WEATHER

It was a chilly morning in the low 40’s. Clear skies most of the day and the best thing no RAIN.

BIKE SETUP

I chose my Serotta again. I think the fit is dialed in now. I rode my Powertap powermeter which is built on Velocity Deep V rim. They are very sturdy very stiff and very reliable. I have them laced 24H and have never had them go out of true. Tires of course were Kenda C2Cs. For lights I carried two small headlights powered by “AA” batteries and a tail light.

CLOTHING

I wore Assos S2 Bib Shorts, in my opinion the best cycling shorts, with knee warmers. I also wore a wool base layer from Woolistic under my 2XU base layer. I wore my Furnace Creek 508 finisher’s jersey with matching vest. This is one I am very proud to wear since I did the race on a fixed gear bicycle. I had a Descente Velom jacket which is very thin, compacts into a sandwich baggie and provided just the right amount of warmth for the first hour of the ride. I was fortunate to have chosen the perfect layering system and felt great temperature wise all day.

THE RIDE

The 300km attracts mainly brevet riders. You no longer find road racer types or people that “Gee I’d like to try a brevet.” It is just short of a double century but I find it just as hard because you don’t have support every 25-30 miles. The controls were spread out as such:

Control #1 55.1 miles —with 4300 feet of climbing
Control #2 96.1 miles— with 3500 feet of climbing
Control #3 140.1 miles— with 2450 feet of climbing
Finish 176.4 miles— with 2520 feet of climbing

NUTRITION

I estimated I would be on the course 12 hours and needed an avg of 300 calories per hour. 12×300= 3600 calories

1. The night before I mixed VIGOURSLY 1 bottle of CarboPro 1200 (16oz) and 6 scoops of CarboPro in a water bottle. I then split the mixture in two 8oz flasks. 1800 Calories

2. I then made two water bottles of 300 calories each with CarboPro 1200.

3. For the drop bag at mile 96 I sent another bottle of CarboPro 1200. 1200 Calories

So that meant I had 2400 calories I was carrying with me and 1200 calories waiting for me at the turnaround point mile 96 for a total of 3600 calories

Obviously, I expended more calories than 3,600 but I have found that consuming more than 350-400 for too long really causes me GI issues. Using the CarboPro1200 was so easy on my stomach that I strongly recommend that you should try it on your next Ultra. I felt well fueled all day. I went on a liquid diet meaning no solids and felt great

The powermeter said I used 6454 kjs which is pretty close to the number of calories. A heart rate monitor will show many more calories expended.

Start to Control #1 55.1 mile Arrived at 9:33am

6am start and it was cold. I saw Kevin McNulty and thought I should try and ride with him and I would finish with a good time. Well that wasn’t to be. Kevin took off right from the start and I just could not keep up. After seven miles of killing myself I let him go and settled into my own grove. Soon enough about five riders (Bruce Taylor, Chris Kostman, Chris Haddikan and others) caught up to me and we chit-chatted for a little while until the Honey Springs climb and then I did my own thing. Bruce Taylor got ahead of me because I was having issues with my gearing. I couldn’t get the 27T to stay in gear. Not a big deal at this point but definitely necessary on Japatul Valley Rd at mile 145. I eventually caught Bruce on Steele Canyon and we rode for a couple of miles and then I climbed Harbinson Canyon at my own pace.

Control #2 96.1 mile Arrived at 12:44pm

I was feeling a little warm on the Hwy 67 climb. I removed my vest and climbed the rest of the way to Ramona. Once I turned on to Old Julian Hwy the winds started to pick up. I would guess about 20-30 mph. All I kept thinking was “I can’t wait to turnaround and take advantage of this tailwind.” I like Old Julian Hwy. It is a great climb and there is very little traffic on it.

Control #3 Mile 140.1 Unmanned Arrived at 3:30pm left at 3:39pm Carl’s Jr

There was lots of descending from Santa Ysabel with little rollers here and there. I like the climb up Old Highway 80. I used to live in Santee and would climb up to Alpine often. When I got to the unmanned Control at Carls Jr I couldn’t believe how long the line was. It took me almost 10 minutes just to get a reciept. But I had to keep in mind that this is not a race. Although I was frustrated since I had worked really hard on the climb up to Alpine.

To the Finish

I wasn’t looking forward to the Japatul Valley Rd climb. All day I was conserving energy so I would be able to tackle the 10-14% grade ramps found on this climb. I got through it eventhough I hadn’t done that much climbing since Furnace Creek. I made the right turn on Lyons Valley and thought for sure there would be a long descent. I guess I forgot that it isn’t that much of a descent. I was happy to make the left turn onto Honey Springs Rd because I knew that would be the last climb of the day. As I summited the climb, I read a text message from Brandy that said “I’m at the finish”. Oh that felt great. I read that and found new motivation and sped on to the finish.

I had ridden with some riders intermittenly up until mile 30 and then I rode Solo the rest of the way. I felt well fueled and comfortable on the bike. The only thing lacking was good legs. I’m happy with my result and placing second to Kevin McNulty — who holds the two person RAAM, and two person Furnace Creek 508 records and won the California/Nevada State Climbing Championships in the Cat 4/5 isn’t bad at all.

RECOVERY

I downed a bottle of Interphase and Recover Amino Power capsules just as I got off the bike. I then gave in and ate McD’s…I figured I had earned it. I used the restroom of McD’s to get out of my cycling gear and put on my Skins Travel and Recovery tights to begin the passive portion of my recovery and because I had a 1.5 hours drive before getting home.

I’ve been asked if I sleep in them— YES! My legs feel so much better the next morning. Sunday morning I went out for a 22 mile recovery ride and then came home and took a 1.5 hours nap. By Monday, I was commuting to work from Huntington Beach to Encinitas (65 miles).

THANK YOU

I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers!! Mike B. great route and Japatul in the latter stages of the event is a real leg zapper. You all great THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING!!

Kevin McNulty way too strong to keep up with. The guy’s an animal!!

NEXT UP THE 400KM BREVET.

San Diego Brevet Series 200K Brevet

Posted on January 6, 2008 by REV Cycling Directeur Sportif

On Jan 5, 2008 I did the San Diego Brevet Series 200km.

The route

Pictures from my camera

Pictures from Ron Simental

First off let me thank my sponsors who keep me equipped and fueled. Sportquest– makers of Carbopro 1200, Interphase and other fine products, Kenda Tires, and Woolistic makers of the best wool clothing and as always my club Team Velosport/ TEAM SHO-AIR/SONANCE.

It was forecasted to rain … rain alot. Much to my chagrin, the weather forecasters got it right this time. It rained and rained and rained some more. It rained for the first 5+ hours and didn’t taper off until I reached the coast and was heading South towards the finish in La Jolla. I finished 2nd (yes I know brevets are not races, but don’t tell that to the frontrunners). My time was 7:56 for 125 miles with over 7,200 feet of climbing. Not bad considering I had only ridden six times since Thanksgiving (bad cold), the weather, not being able to descend at full speed, getting lost twice and navigating in the rain while riding is difficult at best. That is the short story those wanting more details read on.

The two biggest decisions I had to make the night before were which bike to ride and what rain jacket I was going to wear.

Bike Setup

The bike of choice ended up being my custom Serotta CSI– Sarah. Yes my trusty ol’ steel bike got the nod. I would like to ride Sarah for the entire brevet series and wanted to get my position dialed in. Sarah is a recent rebuild with a new fork and new cockpit. As far as wheels, I went with Easton Orion II because they are comfortable and come with traditional round spokes. Even though I own a pair of Mavic Kysrium SLs I don’t ride them in stormy weather because bladed spokes can be a handful in crosswinds and on stormy weather rides you never know which way the wind will catch you on a descent. I also didn’t want to ride my Powertap. For tires, I rode my Kenda C2C’s because I know I wouldn’t puncture. I inflated them to 100psi instead of the usual 120psi because I wanted just a little larger contact patch on the road. I went without lights because I typically finish the 125 mile loop in fewer than 8 hours.

Clothing

On days when inclement weather is imminent I love wearing my Assos bib knickers. The pad is great and the material is ideal when getting rained on all day. My legs didn’t feel cold at all. Up top I wore a Woolistic long sleeve baselayer and a Vitadello Long Sleeve also from Woolistic and both made from 100% Merino Wool. Now the jacket. There were three jackets in contention. My Adidas rain jacket, my 2XU Membrane Jacket and my O2 Rainwear. Three jackets to be shared by two riders since Brandy would be doing an 80 mile ride on the same day. My preferred jacket would have been the O2 Rainwear. But I have put on almost 15lbs since RAAM and the O2 didn’t fit with the wool base layer and the wool jersey. Good thing Rainshield is sponsoring me this year now I can get a larger size. Then I tried on the Adidas rain jacket and realized (had never worn it yet) that it didn’t have any vents. So from three jackets down to one jacket. By default, I would wear the 2XU Membrane Jacket.

I was curious how the “impossible” claims from 2XU would work in reality. From their website:

“Using 2XU’s revolutionary 8/10 Membrane (mid layer) delivering waterproofness of 8,000mmH2O making the penetration through the fabric face through any conditions, from a shower to a snow storm impossible.”

Well I am here to tell you that less than one hour into the event I was soaked. So much for the claims of “impossible” penetration.

The Ride

The 200km is the most popular of the San Diego Brevets. It attracts first time brevet riders, roadies, triathletes and of course experienced ultra riders. In the past I have seen the turn out range from 30 to over 100 last year (PBP year). Today’s turnout was a scant 15 riders. The rain and the impending winter storm kept many riders in their nice warm and comfy beds.

The start was a rolling start. I noticed people were slow in getting ready and at 7am sharp a small number of us rolled out. Mark Raybeck, Bruce Taylor, Jerry Brown, Ian Prowell, Tim Sullivan and I rode together the first three miles or so and then it was just Mark, Bruce and myself.

Control #1 AM/PM Mile 34.9

AT CONTROL #1

Mark, Bruce and I reached the first control together. There was coffee and restrooms in an RV. I was in and out in a couple of minutes. I knew I didn’t have the legs to keep up with Mark and I needed a jump. Mark caught me on the climb up Old Castle Rd. Shortly thereafter Bruce caught and passed me while still on Old Castle Rd. I kept Bruce in sight through Lilac, Couser Canyon and eventually caught him on Rice Canyon on the way to the Rainbow Market.

Control #2 Rainbow Market Mile 60.4

Bruce and I pulled in together to the Rainbow Market. By now Mark was long gone. I was in and out again in less than two minutes. Bruce and I said our goodbyes and I didn’t see him again the rest of the day. From here there was a welcomed downhill and then a climb up Hwy 395 from Hwy 76 and continuing on West Lilac until the “summit” of the day. To make sure we were on track we had an info control– the serial number of a fire hydrant on the course. And then another welcomed descent down Circle R to Hwy 395 and then Camino Del Rey.

One of the tenets (mine anyway) of Ultra Cycling is not getting lost. Well I missed the turn on Old River Rd and had to double back. I lost a good 10 minutes off course. But hey that’s all part of Randonneuring right?

The bike path we took off of Old River Rd was where I was launched for the official RAAM start back in June 2007. It brought back a thousand memories some good some not so good but all in all a huge sense of accomplishment!!!

Back to the brevet. On this same bike path I came across a territorial dog. He definitely took offense to me being so close to his “home”. As soon as I saw him I knew there would be trouble. Typically, I slow down shift into a good sprinting gear and just as the dog has chosen his “angle of attack” I punch it and avoid the dog. Well that wasn’t possible on Holly Lane. This street had speed bumps, potholes, and mud all over and all in very close proximity. I longed for a frame pump. He charged at me while barking and I had to think quick do I unclip and try to kick him away, or would that give him a better target, or should I steer towards him and force him to change his angle of attack, or should I try to sprint even though traction was almost impossible. As our trajectories met I decided to yell loudly (GO HOME!), growl back at him, change direction towards him(since dogs have a tough time walking backwards let alone running backwards) and then I found a somewhat clear section to accelerate. Why this dog was allowed to roam the street is beyond me. Maybe his owner doesn’t like cyclists.

Control # 88.5 7-11 on Vandegrift

This was an unmanned control. I went in, bought a banana and got my obligatory receipt. From the 7-11 onto the bike path and then to the coast. I had been riding solo since mile 60 and really wanted someone to share the work with me heading West into the wind. The headwinds were pretty strong but I knew I was homeward bound now. I reached the coast and knew I only had 30 miles to go. The rain had ceased and I was starting to warm up. I had been wet and cold for the last 6 hours. Only one hill left– Torrey Pines. Only one more wrong turn and then to the finish. This one cost me another 5 minutes off course.

The Finish

I arrived at the finish at 2:56 pm– 7 hours and 56 minutes since the start. I felt good, not overly tired not overly hungry and satisfied with my time. I knew my limitations based on the scarcity of my training rides since Furnace Creek 508. I had been sick since Thanksgiving and not getting in the miles. I was greeted by Stephane, Greg O. and his daughter. Greg’s daughter offered me a chocolate cookie and I gladly accepted. The cookies and my Endurox bottle were a great combination towards my recovery. The volunteers on the course make this event happen. Thank you to Mike Berry, RBA and all the volunteers whose names I’ve missed. I appreciate all your efforts.

Once I got home I took a long hot shower. It felt good to be warm again. I put on my Skins Travel and Recovery tights and eat a nice hot meal. It felt good to be home.

I will see you at the San Diego Brevet Series 300km.